Genesis wins $14,130 in Halloween Shootout

Team Genesis included (from left) Capt. Bob Schnoor, Tim Toberg, Jim Zoos, James Blanton crew Greg Lambert.
LAHAINA — Just 39.6 pounds away, with the second place fish in the Halloween Shootout, was the Genesis with a 337.8-pound blue marlin by Tim Toberg. He was fishing with Capt. Bob Schnoor, crew Greg Lambert and team members Jim Zoos and James Blanton.
They got to the SO-Buoy off the southwest corner of Kaho‘olawe at the 9 a.m. tide change and started fishing for bait. They stayed at the buoy for about an hour, picking up a mahi. Since they weren’t getting any more bites, Bob decided to head out to the 1,000- to 1,500-fathom ledge.
They were about 2-3 miles away from the buoy when they raised a fish. Bob and Greg were adjusting the rigger lures when the marlin came up behind the short corner position. One of the team members shouted out, “Marlin!!”
They stopped what they were doing as Greg went to the short corner reel to try and tease the marlin to strike. Nothing happened.
Bob told Jim to keep heading straight for about a quarter-mile to see if the fish would come back in. After several minutes, Bob had him turn around and head back to the area. Just as Jim started the turn, the long rigger line came out of the clip.
The marlin started smoking off the 100-test line as fast as it could pull it out. Bob had Jim straighten the boat as he and Greg started clearing lines. The line was disappearing so fast off the 80-class reel that Bob had Jim turn the boat toward the fish for the chase.
Bob left the rod in the port side shotgun holder as Tim sat on the gunnel and started cranking. Bob jumped up on the gunnel and lifted up the outrigger so Tim could angle the rod toward the fish.
Tim went to work on gaining the 300 yards of line back. He had it to within 100 yards in a hurry. Bob shouted out, “Here she comes — here she comes!” The marlin broke the surface tail-walking and greyhounding.
The marlin disappeared and took off on another run of at least 100 yards. Jim stayed after the fish as Tim regained all that line back in 10-15-minutes. Once the marlin sounded, it became a slow, give and take, tug of war.
Each time they would get the fish near the boat, it would take off again in the opposite direction. The easterly weather was blowing down on them. The swell was breaking over the railing, and the wind was pushing the boat away from the fish as it headed up-seas.
During the last hour of the fight, they had the marlin to leader 4-5 times. Bob tried to pull it up, but the fish was still too tough and would dig down and take off again out past double line.
The last time they had it up, the marlin made a half roll over onto its side. That was a sign that the fish was getting tired. Bob decided that now was the time for them to go after it. Bob had Greg take over at leader as Greg pulled it up on the port corner.
The marlin tried to dig under the boat into the running gear, but Jim punching the boat away from the fish. Greg held on to the leader at the corner and controlled the fish up the port side. Bob reached out and secured their $14,130 “optional entry” catch, and everyone hauled it over the rail to end the two-hour-and-20-minute fight.
The Ah Tina won the Ahi Division “optional entry” worth $2,790 with a 60.4-pound yellowfin tuna by Mana TamLung. He was fishing with Captains Matt Kahapea and Randy Kinores and Rodney Medeiros.
The Mahi Division “optional entry” winner weighed 41.6 pounds. It was angled by Bobby Henriques aboard the Charlotte L with Capt. Kalani Watson. They took home $4,050.